Reaching out to local communities
Delivering Community Programmes
Affordable Rural Housing
There is a shortage of affordable housing in rural areas, which impacts on the opportunities and choices for local people. Without a range of suitable properties within a village it is difficult to encourage sustainable communities and maintain a vibrant, living countryside as people may have to move away to find housing they can afford.
Developing affordable housing is therefore one of the crucial issues that influences the economic and social strength of rural communities, and is a major contributor to long-term community sustainability.
Affordable rural housing is:
- built with a subsidy by a Residential Social Landlord (Housing Association) and made available for rent or shared ownership,
- allocated (in priority) to households with a local connection to a village,
- kept affordable for local people in perpetuity.
Cambridgeshire ACRE runs an Affordable Rural Housing service supported by a partnership of Local Authorities and Residential Social Landlords. The service employs a Rural Housing Enabler whose responsibilities include:
- Raising awareness of issues surrounding affordable housing with local communities,
- Working with local communities and parish councils to assess local housing needs,
- Working with landowners and parish councils to identify potential sites for development,
- Liaising with relevant organisations including Local Housing and Planning Authorities and Residential Social Landlords in order to ensure development is targeted to the areas of greatest need,
- Increasing awareness of problems surrounding rural housing and influencing future policy.
To discuss affordable rural housing, please contact Catherine Shilton on 01353 865037.